by Judy Upton

15-year-old Ryan school football team captain Ryan develops kidney failure. Overnight his whole world changes, his conditional means a life of frequent dialysis or the bag system or a combination of both unless he is lucky enough to find a kidney donor.

Even then a new kidney does not mean a life without problems – anyone receiving a human kidney has to take daily immunopressent drugs to prevent their body rejecting their new kidney. Often these drugs have side affects.

In the dialysis clinic Ryan meets 16-year-old Gemma who has a similar condition. Sixth Former Gemma goes to the same school as Ryan. She is the complete opposite of Ryan – uninterested in sports and clubbing and the usual teen things. Gemma is a vegetarian, passionate about green issues and animal rights. In her spare time she volunteers for an animal sanctuary.

Ryan and Gemma befriend each other. They share the same Doctor, Doctor Mayhew. Doctor Mayhew advises Gemma on the progress of her relationship with Ryan. Ryan takes Gemma clubbing – a bit of a disaster because Gemma gets into an argument with Ryan’s best mate’s girlfriend for wearing a leather coat. Gemma takes Ryan to visit her animal sanctuary.

Both of them are desperate for a kidney transplant and both are attracted to each other.

Their relationship is stretched to breaking point when because of his age and general fitness (inspite of his kidney condition) – Doctor Mayhew offers Ryan the chance of one of the first animal kidney transplants.

Gemma is opposed to the use of animals in this way. Ryan doesn’t know what to do. The new treatment is untried and untested and not without some risk but it might mean he can go back to his old life – at the same time he really likes Gemma and doesn’t want to loose her.

Ryan’s Mum interrupts Ryan and Gemma arguing about the use of pig kidneys on the dialysis ward. Ryan tells his mother that gemma has refused to have a pig kidney. Ryan’s Mum reveals that Gemma can’t have one for medical reasons – so in her eyes it’s not a real decision.

Gemma counters Ryan Mum’s revelation by explaining that regardless of whether or not she can or cannot have a pig’s kidney – she has refused daily insulin injections because they are made from pig cells. Ryan’s Mum asked her to let Ryan make his own mind up – she says that it’s Ryan’s life and therefore it has to be his decision regardless of what she or Gemma or Doctor Mayhew think.

Gemma accepts what Ryan’s Mum says but decides to organise a picket against the trials – even though Doctor Mayhew was her friend, Gemma feels she must be stopped.

On the day the trials begin – Gemma and her activist friends picket the hospital. Ryan arrives –seeing Gemma on the picket line – he goes to talk to her. He asks her how she would feel towards him if he decided to have a pig’s kidney. She says she doesn’t feel she could handle it. Ryan tells Gemma that he has an infection and therefore his decision has been postponed.

Gemma asks him what his decision would have/will be. Ryan places his finger on her lips and smiles. They stand together for a moment then Ryan crosses the picket line.

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